Only Shadow Remains
by Omega19x
Summary: After the pharaoh's death, Priest Mahaado attempts to singlehandedly expel the darkness within the millennium ring. But instead of controlling the shadows, a sinister shadow controls him, setting in motion a curse that will destroy all of Egypt. COMPLETE
1. The Sixth Night

Insert Disclaimer Here: This is a work of fanfiction. This is only a work of fanfiction. If this had been a real work by the real author… that would have been really cool…

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"Master?" a young apprentice sorcerer whispered, shaking the prone body of her mentor.

Mahaado lay unconscious in a spellcasting circle, hidden in a secluded part of the farthest palace courtyard. The neglected gardens and broken pedestals marked this place as the ideal location to practice in total solitude.

"Master!" she cried out, shaking him again, but with no response. "Master, please, wake up…"

To her relief, the priest started to stir. The needles of his millennium ring jangled against each other in an eerie disharmony.

"Master Mahaado?"

"Mana…" he whispered, as his senses started to return.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, concerned. "The priests have been looking for you all morning!"

Mahaado sat up quickly.

"All morning?" he glanced up at the sky. Ra had long since risen from the horizon. He found Mana nodding as his eyes fell back upon her face. "The training exercises must have began hours ago."

"They sent me to find you." She added. "I knew you'd be here."

"You did not tell them anything, did you, apprentice?" he asked, suddenly very concerned.

"No!" Mana replied just as quickly. "Of course not! But you've been out here for six consecutive nights… What exactly are you casting?"

Mahaado looked down at the millennium ring. It had been exactly six nights since the pharaoh's body was delivered to the lesser priests to begin the mummification ceremonies.

"And why do you have the great spellbook? Shouldn't that stay in the royal library?"

He said nothing, but picked up the millennium tome.

"Master, I'm worried about you." Mana added. "I could barely get you to wake up."

"Mana, the millennium items hide a very dark power." He eventually confessed. "Through my own research, I learned of the secrets contained within the millennium ring. It was because of those secrets that the great pharaoh fell ill. As long as such power remains, the prince will not be safe."

"Dark power? What are you talking about? What are you doing out here?"

"Merely sealing it away will not be sufficient." He added, weakly standing. "It must be expelled and defeated."

"Master, you look exhausted. Maybe we should get the other priests to help!"

"No." His reply was firm. "They are not to know."

"But why?"

"The pharaoh's death, this great tragedy… it is on my heart, apprentice." Mahaado replied, holding onto Mana to steady himself. "I alone must make amends."

"But Master…"

"Mana. Take this to my quarters." He put the coveted millennium tome in her hands. "Make certain that no one sees you."

She nodded, holding the book tightly in her arms.

"But where are you going?"

"The training hall." He answered, limping to the east. "I am already late enough for the morning practice."

Mana watched her master go, before rushing to his quarters with the treasured spellbook. She did not like the idea of leaving him, but her orders were clear. And Master Mahaado always knew what was best. …Didn't he?


	2. Morning Practice

Meanwhile, five of the six high priests stood on the floor of the palace training grounds. Royal vizier, Siamun Muran, watched them prepare for another mock battle.

With their former lord, Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, being guided now by Anubis, extra vigilance was a necessity. The new pharaoh had not yet been crowned, and that meant that threats to their kingdom would only increase. As protectors of their land, chosen by the millennium items, it was their responsibility to make certain those threats did not come to pass. And that meant keeping their bodies and spirits prepared for anything.

Siamun waited, ready to begin the practice.

"Where is the priest of the ring?" he asked, growing impatient. "He is never late."

"Mahaado?" Priest Seth answered, raising a cocky glance to Akhenaden. "I have hardly seen him since the former pharaoh's body was cleansed and passed on to the lesser priests."

"I have hardly seen him as well." He added. "Not since the ending of that ceremony. He left without saying a word."

Isis looked down. Mahaado had not spoken to her, but he left the ceremony quite distraught. Kalim and Shaada noticed the shift in her gaze, and turned towards her.

"Isis, do you know something that we do not?" Shaada asked, holding his millennium key.

"Has your tauk given you a vision pertaining to these events?" Kalim added.

They both waited for a response, but she said nothing.

"Please, priestess. Tell us."

"No…" she eventually sighed. "The tauk has shown me nothing. All I know is what my own eyes have shown me. I have not seen Priest Mahaado recently. Though the pain he felt when leaving the ceremony was palpable. He was greatly troubled by the pharaoh's passing."

"As are we all, but that is no excuse for being late for practice." Seth interrupted, twirling his millennium rod gracefully around his fingers. "We must be vigilant, not lazy."

"Seth, that is enough." Siamun replied quickly.

"Yes, it most certainly is." Akhenaden agreed. The priest of the millennium eye still mourned his brother's death, among the other things that weighed heavily on his heart.

"Never had I seen Mahaado's visage plagued with such despair." Isis continued. "It was disconcerting. I should have followed him, but in light of the events, I thought it best to leave him to grieve as he wished. We all needed time to ourselves, to meditate and reflect."

'The time for grieving is over." Seth added. "Young prince Atem's coronation is only days away."

"Where is Mana? We sent her to search for him over an hour ago!"

Their conversation was interrupted, however, by a familiar voice.

"My apologies for my tardiness." Mahaado whispered as he entered the training arena. "It will not happen again."

"It better not." Siamun replied, walking forward. "Where have you been? We have been waiting for you."

Mahaado merely lowered his head.

"I am sorry. I assure you, it will not happen again."

"It'd better not." Seth smirked. "If word of this were to spread, I can assure you, fear would reign over the kingdom. Danger lurks, while the high priests lazily recline late into the morning."

Mahaado merely bowed respectfully. "You are right. This is not the time for rest."

"Priest Mahaado, you owe all of us an explanation for your unusual absences these past few days." Siamun insisted. "But I do not wish to delay the training session any longer. Your fellow priests are still waiting."


	3. A Weak Magician

Mahaado answered with a weary nod. He did not want to arouse suspicion, though that had clearly already happened. Had he been on time, no questions would have even been asked.

"And since you were late, you may go first." Siamun added, directing Mahaado towards the dueling field. A stone tablet sat behind it, but the other priests knew he would not need it. The priest of the millennium ring rarely called forth anything from the shrine of Wedju. He preferred his own spirit in times of battle.

"Yes, Lord Saimun." He stepped immediately onto the dueling field.

"Each priest will battle every other priest." He announced, turning to face the others. "We will begin, one at a time. This will be endurance practice. Mahaado will be first."

The priest nodded, and summoned the spirit ka that dwelled within his soul.

Isis watched the Magus of Illusion appear before a weary Mahaado. Even the summoning spell seemed to draw greatly on his energy, though the priestess could not see why. Such a spell never weighed that much on his soul before. He did not look well.

"Lord Siamun, may I have the honor of going first?" Priest Seth asked. "I am eager to better myself to serve the kingdom of Egypt."

Kalim watched Mahaado nervously, sharing Isis' concern.

"Very well." The vizier motioned for Seth to stand on the training field as well.

"Seth, you are the most prized fighter among us. Do you really think this is wise?" Kalim asked, stepping onto the field as well. "His apprentice said he did not seem well. Does Mahaado not look tired to you? He should not duel."

"I agree with Priest Kalim." Shaada added. "I will go first instead."

"Mahaado had plenty of time to rest." Seth answered them both, summoning an ox-like creature from the stone slab. "He will duel like the rest of us."

The priest of the millennium ring stepped forward, his ka flying to his side.

"That is correct." Mahaado answered. "Let us begin the training."

The vizier nodded to both of them before raising his hand over the training field. The other priests stepped aside, forming a small line. Shaada would battle next, followed by Kalim.

"Then let this duel begin!"

Seth wasted no time in calling his creature to attack. Mahaado had scarcely enough time to dodge the strike, which was clearly intended for him, not his magus.

"Is that how this duel will be, Seth?" Mahaado asked, standing up again. He whispered a spell, and his magician leapt forward, flying around the ox. Four rounds of dark magic blast pelted against the thick hide of the ox creature. Seth tried to call his creature back, but the large monster was less agile than the magician. The blasts made contact. To his surprise, however, they did little damage.

"Is that the best you can do?" Seth called out. "What kind of weak attack is that? You should have arrived early for practice, not later."

He shouted for his creature to attack again, this time targeting the magus. The ox did so, raising two axes high above its head. Mahaado whispered another spell, but was sluggish in his response. The magical shield failed to harden before the weapons made contact. And the powerful blow sent both the spirit and its master flying back into the stone slab.

"Mahaado!" Isis shouted.

Before the priest of the ring could even rise, Seth shouted for his ka to continue the assault.

"Now, Battle Ox, attack again!" he bellowed, the mighty creature's roar shaking the palace walls. It readied its axes, and leapt forward.

The magus of illusion, however, floated lifelessly above its master. The ka slumped forward, as weary as Mahaado. Its hands could barely hold onto the long green wand. The magician could not block another direct attack in its condition, and neither could Mahaado.

"Seth!" Akhenaden shouted, running forward from his place in line. "Pull your strike!"

The ox continued. Akhenaden could not discern whether younger priest simply did not hear him, or whether he chose to disregard the instructions out of personal pride.

"Seth!"

"Spiria shield! Activate!" Isis called forth her ka, sending it in between the ox and the magician. Her shield was strong enough to deflect the blades, stopping the assault on Mahaado's ka.

"Isis, the rules did not permit you to interfere!" Seth shouted angrily.

"I had no choice." She replied quickly, her ka disappearing from the field. "The last strike was uncalled for. You had already won the duel."

The other priests gave their assent, while Siamun ran forward.

"Seth, you need practice in control." He chastised the young priest. "Your battle skills are more than sufficient."

"That is more than can be said for others in this room." He growled, glancing at the beaten priest. "And to think he is part of this kingdom's protection."

"Seth, that is enough!" Siamun shouted. "Put your own energy into something useful. Fifteen laps around the palace gates! Now."

The priest grumbled something about a wasted morning under his breath, and left the room. Punished for his victory or not, his pride had been satisfied for now.

"I knew he looked unwell." Kalim added.

"No. He is not well." Akhenaden replied. "Kalim, Shaada, help Mahaado to his quarters, and let him rest. I will deal with Seth later."

"Yes, I agree." Siamun agreed.

He watched worriedly as Kalim and Shaada lifted the priest of the ring between their shoulders. Mahaado did not respond. He merely let his head slide forward and his body fall slack.

"His heka is greatly depleted." Shaada remarked, looking down at his fellow priest with concern. Even a mere student magician could have felt the lack of energy running through his body. "He should not have dueled."

"Mahaado is a strong sorcerer." Siamun added. "A mere summoning spell should not deplete his heka, even if he has taken ill."

"Which would imply that something else did." Akhenaden replied. "But what?"

"Whatever the cause, it must be great." Siamun continued. And he did not like the looks of it.


	4. Worry

The priests retired for the day, putting their training aside. Seth and Akhenaden kept watch over the kingdom. One stood guard, while the other made rounds and reported back. Isis turned her attention to searching for Mana.

Thankfully, she did not have to search long. The apprentice sorcerer was hiding nearby, in one of the larger pots.

"I knew I would find you here." The priestess stood over the pot, and peered inside. Mana almost jumped out of the pot with fright. When she recovered her senses, Mana slowly climbed out.

"You can find me just as well as Master Mahaado." Mana hung her head.

"And that is exactly what I wanted to ask you about. After we sent you to find your master, he arrived to the practice arena…" Isis began. Mana pretended that she had never found her Master, and listened with great intent. "He did not appear to be well, and when he stood up to engage Seth's ka in a mock battle, he nearly lost more than the match."

Mana could not help but gasp.

"Mana, if you know what happened, you must tell us."

The apprentice sorceress scraped her boot along the bricks. She glanced down, choosing to look away from Isis' face.

"Mana. Something is wrong. His heka is very powerful. For something to have depleted almost all his life force, it had to be equally powerful, indeed. The safety of our kingdom depends on knowing what might have happened to your master."

Mana had been instructed not to tell.

"I…" she didn't know what to say. "I need to see my master! Where is he?"

"Kalim and Shaada carried him to his quarters." Isis answered. Before she could even ask another question, Mana had turned away from the priestess. Her destination was clearly the private quarters of the high priests.

Mana's heart fluttered with panic. She knew her master wasn't well when she let him go, and now, she was even more worried than before. Whatever spells he was casting, they were depleting his heka far faster than he could recover it. Another night in the secluded courtyard… Mana dared not even think such thoughts. Could he survive it?

"Master?" she shouted, rushing into the west wing of the palace. "Master Mahaado!"

She brushed past the rooms of the other priests, ignoring anyone who might have passed by.

"Master Mahaado, are you all right?!"

As she reached his quarters, she quickly fell silent. Her jaw fell slack, her voice stuck in her throat like a freeze spell that she could not quite undo. Her knees shook. Her body trembled as she beheld the sight in front of her.

"Oh Ra…" she gasped, finally finding her voice. "Master!!"


	5. Casting a Shadow

Mana found Priest Mahaado's body sprawled across the floor, the millennium tome at his side. The needles of his millennium ring had imbedded themselves in his chest. The steady dripping of blood from his torn tunic suggested that the wounds were fresh.

"Master!" she dropped to her knees, shaking him. She shoved the thought that he could have already succumbed out of her mind. "Master!!"

His face contorted as he forced the impending scream into silence. He clasped his eyes tightly shut, trying to focus his magic upon the situation at hand. But it was becoming quite clear to him that he was losing control of that situation with every passing second!

"Master! What's going on?"

She received no answer from him, so she picked up the book. Several pages of hieratic script revealed a translation of some of the tome's most powerful spells and its most dangerous secrets.

"Contract with the dark master?" she gasped, as she flipped through the pages. "Exorcism spells? Purification spells? Master? Master, what's going on?!"

Mahaado curled up on the floor, holding his head in his tense hands. He wanted to answer his student, but he knew he could not divert even a fraction of his thought to the task. Man could feel waves of spastic energy radiating from her master. He was quickly losing control of his heka, a sign that something was more than terribly amiss.

"Master!" Mana shook him again, more drastically this time. "What's wrong? What can I do to help you?!"

Mahaado could not muffle the scream.

"Master!!"

"_It is too late for help now, little girl."_ A sharp scratchy voice emanated from her master's throat. The mere sound of it burned. _"It is too late for all of you."_

Mahaado held his head tightly, casting spell after spell, enchantment after enchantment, but nothing worked.

"Master Mahaado?"

"_This world will shrivel in the darkness of the shadow realm!"_ the voice hissed, as Mahaado's eyes snapped open. They glowed a violent crimson, a portal into the heart of the darkest spirit she had ever encountered. He stared, not at his apprentice, but through her, down to her very soul. The icy glare sent shivers down her spine.

"Master, what's wrong?"

"No! I will not let you do this!" his true voice broke through the unusual droll. He reached out his trembling hand, calling his wand from the other side of the room. It flew shakily into his grasp. "I will stop…"

"_The ring was right to choose you. You are strong, magician." _

"Master!"

Mahaado screamed again, his hand shaking so badly that he could not even grip his wand. The pain was intense, more so than he had ever experienced. It was as though his very soul were being set on fire.

"Mana…" he gasped between ragged breaths.

"_And your strength will be your undoing."_ The voice growled again.

Mana gulped. There was something inside of her master.

"Mana! Get out now!" Mahaado shouted, as he curled up again, writhing in pain. He knew his apprentice would not obey the order, but felt he had to try.

Mahaado had hoped that after six nights in the garden, he could have weakened the spirit and expelled it from the ring – that by the time of the coronation, the item would have been cleansed of its evil, that Prince Atem would inherit the throne with the power of goodness and light. That hope, however, was proving to be his greatest mistake.

"Master?"

"I cannot hold it back…"

She stood, her legs still quaking with fright. She wasn't sure what to do. Mahaado held his head, trying to force it back into the ring, if he could not expel it.

"Hang on, please…" she cried. "I'll get the other priests!"

Mahaado did not answer. Instead, he focused only on the powerful exorcism spells he had studied in the millennium tome. Unfortunately, his heka, so greatly diminished over the past week, could barely grasp hold on the creature. He was in no position to expel it or to reseal it.

Gasping, Mana ran from the room as fast as she could.

"_Run if you like, it will do you no good."_ The voice faded into the background._ "And you… Priest, you will be my shadow!"_


	6. The Battle Begins

Meanwhile, Seth entered the palace throne room where Priest Akhenaden was standing watch.

"I do hope the exercise on top of your daily rounds has cleared your head, Seth." The elder priest scolded. "Another incident like this morning's duel, and it will be you, not Mahaado who is stripped of the priesthood."

"He was late for practice." Seth countered.

"And you nearly killed him for it." Akhenaden replied, taking an accusatory tone. "It was unnecessary to display such power. We should be focusing our effort to join together as priests, not break our bonds apart…"

"It will not happen again." He growled in return, not expecting to be believed. Akhenaden did not believe it for a moment, but he dropped the subject anyway.

"Have you a report to make?"

"I do." He answered. "You wanted me to inform you if anything seemed unusual."

"And?"

"Everything was in its proper place except for the royal library." Seth replied, crossing his arms leisurely around his waist. "Clearly, someone was there last night, after Ra had descended below the earth."

"The royal library?" Akhenaden asked, his voice displaying the slightest hint of fear.

"Several powerful spellbooks were left sitting on the tables, as well as your translation scrolls. Others were missing."

Akhenaden froze, gasping for breath.

"What of the millennium tome? The most powerful spellbook we possess?" he trembled, staring up at Seth. "Was it…"

The priest of the millennium rod only nodded.

"It was nowhere to be found." He answered smugly. After serving Akhenaden for several years, he knew all too well the power contained within that manuscript. Few magicians dared speak of it, let alone hold in their hands. But warring kingdoms desired it more than all the gold in the palace. The elder priest was visibly frightened. But Seth clearly had an idea of where it must have ended up.

"Priest Akhenaden! Priest Seth!" Mana shouted as she burst into the throne room.

They both turned, startled by the sudden intrusion.

"What is wrong, child?"

"Something is wrong with Master Mahaado!" she cried, fighting to catch her breath.

"Mahaado?" Seth growled. He crossed his arms at his waist. "What has he done, now?"

Before Mana could even answer, a powerful fireball burst through the wall behind the throne. Akhenaden and Seth dove out of the path of the flying rubble, as plates of gold melted upon contact. Mana just shrieked, falling back into an adjacent pillar.

The smoke cleared as the priests stood to see their attacker.

"_You can't hide from me, little girl." _

The priests gasped. It looked like Priest Mahaado, but sounded like something out of the shadow realm. Mana froze. She could feel the dark energy radiating off her master. It was so strong that the sense more than overwhelmed her, and it was starting to grow. The needles of the ring were still in his chest.

"Mahaado, what is going on?" Seth demanded. He clutched his millennium rod tighter as he studied his opponent. Unable to sense the danger, or perhaps just being unwilling to do so, Seth smirked. "If you wish to try again at besting me in a duel, we can do so. But the prince will have your head impaled on a post for your pathetic display of power."

"_Silence, Priest."_

As Mahaado snarled, his eyes glowed with a fierce aura all their own.

"Seth, be careful." Priest Akhenaden put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "That man is not Mahaado. Can you not sense it?"

"I can sense it all right." Seth dared not take his eyes off the other priest, not even for an instant. Several hours ago, Mahaado could barely stand, yet alone attack with such ferocity. Something drastic must have occurred.

Mahaado launched a second fireball, directly at Seth. The priest dodged it, rolling out of the way, pulling Akhenaden with him. The elder priest, stunned, struggled to regain his footing. Seth, meanwhile, had summoned his spirit beast to his side.

"I don't know who you are, but you're not Mahaado." Seth growled. The fireball carried such power that it melted through the stone floor, exposing the sand below.

"_I will plunge your land into darkness." _He sneered, powering up another attack. _"And I will rule your world as I do the shadows!"_

"Duos, my ka, hear me!" Seth shouted, brandishing his millennium rod. The item glowed as he addressed the beast within his soul. "Use your aura sword, and destroy this imposter!"

As the spirit beast powered up an attack of its own, Priest Mahaado fell to his knees, clutching his head. The attack in his hands faded, and his eyes flickered rapidly between demonic red and normal brown.

"Priest Seth!" Mana shouted, running towards the battle. "Don't attack!! It's Master Mahaado! Something is… inside him!"

Slow to pull his attack, the blade of the aura sword flew towards Mahaado.

"I will not let you control me!" the sorcerer screamed, still holding his head. He began another exorcism spell, but could not finish it.

"_Not this time."_ The voice hissed, instantly casting a powerful spell. _"Mirror force, activate!" _

"Seth!" Akhenaden cried, as Duos' powerful attack was reflected right back its wielder. The blow struck Seth's ka, sending both the spirit and the priest into the wall. Seth slumped to the floor, his ka disappearing from the strike.

Akhenaden gasped, running to Seth's side as the vizier and the other three priests finally reached the throne room.

"What is going on?" Shaada shouted, dashing down the hall.

"We heard the crash!" Isis ran through the curtain, followed by Kalim. "What is…"

They froze, a gust of cold air whipping past.

"Mahaado?"

"Seth!" Kalim shouted, also running to the youngest priest's aid. With his ka, Duos, severely injured in the battle, Priest Seth's own life force was greatly weakened. "Seth, speak to me. Are you all right?"

"His ka took a grave hit." Akhenaden replied.

"By what?" Kalim gasped, glancing back to Mahaado. A few hours ago, he could barely stand! In the short breath of silence, the priest fell to his knees again, clutching his head.

The millennium scales started to tilt wildly. As the shadow creature fought with Mahaado, it could not read either force clearly.

"You do not control me!" Mahaado shouted. He trembled as he spoke, his voice clearly growing weaker as the other force grew stronger. The other priests could do nothing but watch the altercation between Mahaado and… himself. "I am loyal to the pharaoh! You do not control me!"

"_Ah, but I do, magician." _

"I will defeat you…"

"Mahaado?" Isis gasped, rushing to her fellow priest's apprentice. She put her hand protectively on her shoulder. "Mana, what is going on?"

"Something's inside of him. He can't stop it!" she shouted, as Isis grew even more afraid. "It's dark, it's strong. I can feel it!"

"Mahaado, focus your magic. You are the strongest sorcerer of us all." Isis let go of Mana and ran to his side. She clasped her hands together in prayer to Thoth and Bes. "No shadow creature can control you!"

"The priestess is correct." Siamun added. "Focus your mind, and expel this creature!"

Mahaado clutched his head, screaming in agony. His face contorted as he struggled to even form the words of his spells.

Shaada held his millennium ankh at arm's length. Its magic opened a quick window into the spellcaster's heart. What he saw took his very breath away.

"Isis, Lord Siamun! Back away." He ordered.

"What?"

"Back away, now!" Shaada trembled so much, that he almost dropped his item!

Mahaado's eyes glowed red again, and he quickly stood, tossing the priestess and vizier to the side with a mere thought.

"_Now that I have you all in one place, I only need say this once."_ He snarled, waving his hand in a small circular motion. An hourglass appeared. Snatching the item, he climbed to the throne and placed the timepiece in its very center.

The other priests watched, both mystified and terrified.

"_You have ten hours left."_ The shadow inside Mahaado growled.

"Ten hours left until what?" Kalim asked.

For a moment, Mahaado seemed to struggle, but his control lapsed again.

"_Ten hours until my curse is complete." _

"Curse?" Isis gasped.

The priest of the ring whispered another spell, and the millennium tome appeared in his hands. Akhenaden's jaw trembled, upon seeing the book. Mahaado opened the spellbook, and flipped through various pages, reciting spells in a language that none of them, not even Priest Akhenaden, could understand.

"_But this curse is not without redemption."_ He laughed. _"One of you will survive. If within ten hours, you are able to tell me not only who, but why, I may decide to spare your existence!" _

"Mahaado?"

"Master?"

"_The magician is gone."_ The demonic voice bellowed with a sinister laugh. _"Only Shadow remains."_

And with a swift move of his hand, Mahaado disappeared, taking the millennium tome with him. The air around the teleportation site reeked of sulfur, the deathly scent of the shadow realm penetrating their world.

And Mahaado was its first prisoner.


	7. Ten Hours

The priests, meanwhile, were dumbfounded that such a thing could happen to one of their own, especially to a sorcerer as powerful as Mahaado.

The hourglass had already been turned, the falling sand marking the time until the demon's curse could be fulfilled.

"Mahaado…" Isis shivered, thinking of the vitriolic rage in his eyes. Shaada too, was shaken by the vision he had seen in his ankh. The shadows within Mahaado's soul were insurmountable.

"Shaada, what did you see?" Akhenaden asked, just as fearful.

"I can tell you what I did not see." He answered. "Mahaado's spirit beast, the Magus of Illusion. It was veiled beneath shadows so thick, they were suffocating. I could barely look upon them without my own soul being caught in the fray!"

"Shadow…" Seth weakly groaned, sitting up for the first time since the attack threw him into the wall.

"Do not move, Seth. Your spirit beast was badly wounded. You may have been injured too."

"I do not have time for that." He growled, and weakly stood. His back was sore from the impact, but everything else seemed in good order. He shook the blurriness from his eyes, and turned to face the other priests.

"None of us have time." Kalim noted. "We only have ten hours until…"

"He said there was a way to stop the curse." Shaada interrupted. "All we need to do is determine who out of us will survive, and why."

"Though the demon within Mahaado only said he 'might' show mercy." Kalim sighed. "We do not know if it is true. It would not be wise to trust him. Not like this."

Akhenaden was the most fearful. If the shadow creature had gained access to Mahaado's heka, it could do great damage, especially with the millennium spellbook in its arsenal. He knew of nothing more powerful than spells contained within the millennium tome.

"We may not have a choice…"

Seth glanced up at Mana.

"What happened to him?" he asked coldly, staring down the apprentice magician.

"I don't know!" she shouted back, quite terrified. "I just found him in his quarters, and the ring was in his chest… and something started talking back to me through his body! That didn't happen any of the other times he…"

She froze, clasping her hand over her mouth. The other priests turned their full attention to her within a breath.

"Other times he what?!" Seth growled, marching towards the young magician.

Mana stuttered a little.

"Mana, please…" Isis begged. "We until the moon reaches its peak to stop the shadow creature that has taken control of your master, or the entire kingdom will fall."

"And if that creature knows the full extent of Mahaado's abilities, then the task will be made even more difficult."

Mana finally nodded.

"All right… For the past six nights, he's been casting strange spells in a secluded courtyard, in back of the palace. But he's been allright, until this morning when you asked me to find him…"

"Mana, what happened?" they repeated again, almost exacerbated.

"I found him… and I tried for almost an hour to make him wake up." She tried to explain, nervously clutching the edges of her ruffled sleeves. "I asked him what he'd been doing, and he said he was trying to expel some sort of dark energy. It had something to do with the millennium items."

Akhenaden froze. Mahaado truly did know the secrets behind the millennium items!

"That was when he faced Seth in the mock battle." Isis interrupted. "His heka had been too depleted to fight."

"But at the same time, it left him vulnerable to this creature's attack."

"Foolish, Mahaado." Seth growled. "This is all his doing!"

"He… he said he had to do it." Mana added, though she was scared. "He said that the pharaoh's death was on his heart. And that he had to make amends. I… I don't have the foggiest idea why, but…"

"That idiot!" Seth shouted. "I will find him myself, right now, and make him pay for his stupidity."

Akhenaden, though, would hear none of that. He grabbed Seth by the shoulder, and stopped him.

"And you would be just as foolish, to approach something more powerful than you, especially when you are just as weak." The priest scolded. "We must all work together, to solve the riddle associated with his curse. It may be the only chance we have."

Siamun Muran nodded.

"Yes, that is the only course of action that can be taken."

"That is right, Seth." Isis nodded her assent. "If we do not stop him, we will all be long dead before the coronation festivities begin."

Begrudgingly, he nodded.

"Allright. But where do we start?"

Mahaado, or rather the shadow creature that had forced itself into his mind, was more than willing to answer that question for them.


	8. The First Curse

"Lord priests! Lord priests!" a group of worried soldiers rushed into the demolished throne room. "Come quickly!"

"What is it?" Shaada asked, turning around quickly.

"The people are terrified! A dark curse has spread over Egypt!" They motioned the vizier to a window overlooking the largest courtyard. The five remaining priests followed swiftly behind him.

When they arrived, it was clear that there was disarray throughout the kingdom. The people clamored at the palace gates, demanding guidance, demanding answers, praying that the gods would hear their pleas.

"You there, what is going on?" Seth shouted to the closest peasant.

"Lord priest, my water jugs are filled with blood!"

"Mine too!" another voice cried from the distance.

"The Nile runs red with blood!" a third shouted.

"It is not just the Nile! There is not a drop of water in all of Egypt!"

"Even our water supplies have been tainted." a soldier on the balcony revealed. Siamun walked over to inspect the jar. It was as red as Mahaado's eyes.

"What sorcery is this?"

The priests exchanged glances. It could only have been a part of that shadow creature's plan.

"With the death of the pharaoh, has Nun also forsaken us?"

Being the eldest, Priest Akhenaden stepped forward.

"Please, please try to remain calm. We know of the situation, and are trying to rectify it." He announced, shouting over their cries. "A dark shadow has fallen on our kingdom, but with the power of the millennium items, we will prevail over this threat, as we did over the warring kingdoms fifteen years ago!"

He looked back. The throne was temporarily without a king, and thus, the people were afraid.

"Should we progress with the coronation?" Kalim turned to Isis.

"But it is not yet time, and we would only be placing the prince in danger."

"No, we must stop Mahaado first." Seth announced. "We do not have any time to waste."

"People of Egypt, please. Take shelter here, in the palace." Akhenaden extended his hands. "Soldiers, help make room!"

"Thank you, Lord Priest!" the crowd replied with a gracious cheer. Akhenaden, meanwhile, turned around to face the others.

"We cannot let Mahaado harm the people." He added sternly. "We must find him, and stop him immediately. Siamun, see that the people are safe, and see that the prince is safe as well."

The vizier bowed to the pharaoh's surviving brother, and hurried down the stairs.

"But what of this curse?" Isis gasped. "What of the Nile? All the water in the kingdom has turned to blood!"

"Lord, Akhenaden, Isis is right." Kalim nodded. "The people cannot live without water!"

"It is a distraction." Seth growled. "Mahaado must have done it to keep us from focusing on the matter at hand."

"With that creature in his mind, and the spells of the millennium tome at his disposal, there is no telling what he will be able to accomplish." Akhenaden whispered. "That spellbook contains spells meant for gods, not men."

"You know the secrets of that tome better than any of us, Lord Akhenaden." Priest Seth replied. "The millennium items were given to us in order to punish those who threaten the laws of Ma'at. Mahaado has broken those laws. This will be nothing more than a millennium trial."

"If he has the power of the millennium spellbook, it will not be that simple, Seth."

"Either way, I have heard enough talk." He brushed past the other priests, heading down a long corridor. "Isis, what can you forsee? Can you find Mahaado?"

The priestess closed her eyes, and concentrated on her millennium tauk.

"I can see nothing but shadows." She revealed, as the other priests rushed past her, trying to keep up with Seth's rapid pace. "Very thick shadows."

"It is Mahaado's millennium ring that can best find the source of those shadows." Shaada added. "He could pierce any darkness with his heka."

"Then we will find him another way." Seth turned around. He quickly entered the throne room again. "Mana. Where would Mahaado go? I want you to find him. Now."

The apprentice nodded, shaking under Seth's ironclad commands.

"I… I've been trying to find him." She stuttered a little, looking up at the towering visage of Priest Seth. "But it's as though he's used his magic to cloak himself. I can't sense his spirit at all! In any form!"

Isis and Kalim exchanged worried glances.

"Then we will approach this without magic." Akhenaden replied. "You know your master better than any of us. Where might he have gone?"

"I can think of a few places…"

"Good." Seth added. "It is a start, at least."


	9. Search

Mana led them to the secluded courtyard where Mahaado had spent the past six nights in a spellcasting trance, hoping that her master would still be there. Unfortunately, he was not.

"This is always where he would go if he didn't want to be disturbed." She whispered, looking around through the tall grass.

"Well, it appears this time, he did not." Priest Seth growled.

Isis glanced down, watching the rays of the sun cast shadows on the stones.

"And the first hour has already passed."

No sooner had she spoken, when frogs started to rain down from the sky. As they fell, a low hum radiated from the clouds The priests jumped, startled by the unfamiliar magic..

"What madness is this?" Shaada gasped, hearing the small beasts croak as they splashed onto the ground.

"It is chaos. That is what it is." Kalim gasped as well.

"Another curse."

"Another distraction." Priest Seth shouted, striking one of the falling frogs with the millennium rod. "We have to find Mahaado. That shadow creature inside him must be stopped! "

"Then we should split up." Akhenaden suggested. "Shaada, you, Isis, and Mana, go to the magicians' training grounds. That is a haven for spellcasters. He may have gone there."

Isis and Mana nodded.

"Seth, Kalim. You and I will go through the palace. He may have retreated to his quarters."

Kalim and Seth nodded as well. They disbanded, but it was to no avail.

Mahaado's quarters were demolished, but empty. His cot was in shambles, potion bottles and magical scrolls had spilled over the floor, and blood stained the stone beneath the priest's personal spellcasting circle.

The magicains' training grounds was equally deserted. The few masters and students that were in training had likely gone to the palace as well, to take shelter from the assault that was plaguing the kingdom.

Mana could only sigh. She knew that if the other masters were too afraid to enter the fight, then the situation looked quite bleak indeed.

By the time they met up again at the palace gates, their problems had only increased. The beginning of the third hour was marked by clouds of gnats, springing from the dust on the ground. As the soldiers ushered more people within the walls of the palace, they fought to ignore the itching on their open skin.

Isis, Mana, and Shaada dismounted their horses at the gates. Mana, wand extended, was keeping the biting insects at bay. She extended her spell to the other priests, who were visibly relieved.

"Anything?" Kalim asked, hopeful.

"No." Isis answered. "The grounds were practically deserted. Even the masters have fallen back in fear. It is as though Apep himself has descended upon Kehmet."

"Did you find anything?" Shaada asked.

"He was not there." Kalim sighed as well.

"But from the scrolls laying around, we have learned several things." Priest Akhenaden replied.

"We know he's been translating the millennium tome. There were dozens of powerful spells in his private collection." Seth elaborated. "The most recent ones were exorcisms."

"Exorcisms?"

"Powerful exorcisms, for demons with the power of gods!" Akhenaden corrected. "The sheer amount of heka required in the spell, if cast at once, would cost even the most powerful master sorcerer their life! I know not of a single sage who would dare attempt such a spell alone."

"Mahaado was clearly casting the spell, but spacing it out over many days."

"That's what he was doing when…" Mana gasped, almost losing concentration on her own spell. But she recovered it quickly, keeping the priests shielded from the curse of gnats.

"Yes."

"But whatever for?"

"He told me it had something to do with the millennium ring." Mana added.

"That may have been his target." Kalim nodded. "But why would our items hold within them something so wicked? These are tools for restoring peace!"

Priest Akhenaden only lowered his head, saying nothing.

"Whatever the reason, it seems he was right." Isis added, with Shaada nodding. "Our items may hold the key to peace, but there must have been a dark force inside the millennium ring. We have seen the evidence of its existence. It has taken over Mahaado!"

"That can only mean that the amount of heka he used casting the spell had weakened the barrier protecting his soul!" Mana shouted. She put her hands on her hips. "Master Mahaado's magic is too strong to be beaten by a shadow creature!"

"Clearly, you're wrong about your master." Seth growled under his breath.

"I am not!" Mana shouted back.

"Seth, this is not the time." Akhenaden shouted angrily. "Mana is right. Her master's power is incredibly strong. And that is why we must be even more vigilant. Should this shadow creature have taken over the body of a mere peasant or thief, it would be one thing. But taking over the body of a master sorcerer, that is quite another."

Before the priests could even respond, a very uneasy sense struck them. Mana, having been trained to sense magical energy, froze as the wave passed.

"That's not good…" she gasped, her wand shaking. She fought to regain control of her spell, but a small swarm of gnats penetrated her shield.

"What is it?"

Mana trembled. Her knees quivered as she looked up at the sky.

"It was a massive surge of magical energy! I… I've never felt anything like it!"

The priests were aware that the aura in the air had changed, but it would take a seasoned spellcaster to sense no more acutely than that.

"What does it mean?" they demanded. "Where is it coming from?"

"A… a very powerful spell was cast… So powerful that it sent off a shock wave of magical energy!" she trembled, looking around.

"Can you pinpoint the origin?" Seth shouted.

"If we can find that, we can find Mahaado." Kalim agreed, glancing around. "It must be him. There is no other alternative."

"From the tablet sanctuaries!"

The priests turned to the south. The tablet sanctuaries looked relatively undisturbed. None of them were active. But Mana's senses would not betray them where magic was concerned. She had trained under their best sorcerer, and that was precisely where her master was hiding.

Seth immediately turned towards the Shrine of Wedju.

"We do not have time to waste." He ordered. "Let us go!"


	10. Enter the Sanctuary

When the priests arrived at Mahaado's tablet sanctuary, they found the door barred shut with a powerful sealing spell. There was no doubt in any of their minds – he was inside.

"Can you sense anything, Mana?" Isis asked, putting her hand on the apprentice's shoulder.

"Barely. It's… like he has a powerful cloaking spell set up, so that no one can figure out what he's casting."

"The curse." Seth grunted under his breath. "That's what he's casting."

"But what of the riddle?" Shaada insisted, clutching his millennium item tightly. His mind had been racing to find a solution, but so far, he had come up with nothing. "There is one of us who he is not targeting. We must determine who it is."

"And more importantly, why."

Seth quickly looked around at each of them, thinking. His thoughts, however, were rattled by something far more sinister.

"_I should commend you for even coming this far."_ The shadow creature laughed, its voice echoing over the shrine and stretching as far as the palace gates. _"Though, an attempt is better than simply standing on the throne, waiting for death."_

A dark laugh emanated from Mahaado's tablet sanctuary.

"It's no use." Kalim shouted, having been attempting to open the gates since they arrived. "I cannot move the stone slabs."

"_Of course you can't."_ the shadow bellowed. _"This body is perfect. I have been waiting for millennia for a servant with such power!"_

"What are you doing to my master?!" Mana shouted, running forward, but Isis pulled her back.

"_Watch your tongue, little girl. Or else I cut it off." _

Mana swallowed a scream, and stepped back. She could feel a small ripple of energy below her feet. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine her master's face as he was, not as this creature had forced him to be.

"_Quiet, magician."_ The voice hissed. _"You wanted enough heka to cast that spell. And now, you're going to get it."_

The ripples continued under Mana's feet. She was frozen in place. The sense was weak, and the voice was very faint, but she could almost hear her master calling out to her.

"It's talking to Mahaado." Shaada whispered, holding out his item. Though he could still sense only shadow, those shadows were constantly shifting.

"Master's trying to fight back." Mana gasped. "I can feel it."

"The seal on the door is weakening." Kalim announced. "Hurry, everyone give me a hand!"

Seth nodded. He and Akhenaden lent their backs to the labor. Mana held her wand tightly, worried as she felt her master's energy weaken again. He was loosing ground as quickly as he had gained it.

"I don't know how long he can hold out…" she whispered, just as Kalim managed to break through the door.

"That is long enough." He offered a small smile, before clutching the millennium scales and leading the way into Mahaado's tablet sanctuary.

"We know you're in here." Seth barked. "Release Mahaado, and stop this curse at once. This will be your only warning. You will be judged for your crimes against this kingdom, and this tablet sanctuary will be your final resting place!"

He was met with a dry laugh.

"_You think you can seal me in a stone tablet as though I were some lesser fiend?"_ the shadow hissed from within Mahaado.

The priest sat cross-legged atop the platform in his sanctuary, his body rippling with more energy than Mana had ever sensed before. She closed her eyes, as though she were walking into the desert sun for the first time.

The stones along the walls glowed, as their power was drained. Sparks of light flickered around Mahaado's fingertips as large currents of magical energy flowed through his flesh.

"_I am invincible!" _

Mana gulped. She could barely recognize her master. His face was contorted with a painful sneer, and his eyes burned with a sinister fire. As his expression soured, she prayed that her true master was inside that soul somehow, fighting desperately to stop the shadow creature's attacks.

"_You have put up a formidable fight, magician."_ The shadow snarled. _"But that's over now." _

Shaada held up his millennium ankh, but could barely steady it. His arm trembled as he looked through the circle. The sheer magnitude of shadows had increased exponentially. Something terrible was happening.

"Shaada!" Kalim shouted, trying to help steady his fellow priest. "What do you see?"

"The shadows are impenetrable! And growing!" he gasped. "They are growing beyond the control of any stone tablet… of any tablet sanctuary!"

"He's powering up his heka to cast a spell!" Mana shouted, sensing Mahaado's energy shift.

"Another distraction?"

Isis glanced at the light entering from the very top of the temple.

"It is not yet time."

"Then what?"

"Priest Akhenaden, use your millennium eye to reveal the creature so that I may seal it into one of Mahaado's free stones."

"No, Akhenaden." Shaada shouted with concern. "The shadows are so great. If you provide the gateway, that creature could jump into your body instead!"

He backed away slowly.

"No stone in this sanctuary could even begin to contain it!"

"Then I will be ready with my rod!" Priest Seth announced, pointing the rod at Mahaado.

"_Insolent mortal fools."_ The shadow growled. Mahaado raised his arms to the sky, his body crackling with dark lightning. He glanced down at the millennium tome, sitting in his lap, and whispered a dark spell.

Akhenaden recognized the spell instantly. It was one that he had translated – a spell so dangerous, so forbidden, the elder priest considered ripping it from the tome and burning the papyrus on which it was written.

"No!"

From within his own mind, Mahaado struggled to stop the spell from being cast. But he was far too weak. His attempts were blocked on every turn.

"What's going on?" Kalim shouted.

"Seth, pull back your rod!" Akhenaden covered his eye, the pain in his face too intense to ignore. He turned his head away, trying to protect his very soul from what would likely be an onslaught of unparalleled proportions. Knowing Seth would not obey, he grabbed the younger priest and pulled him down as well.

"Lord Akhenaden, what is the meaning of this?"

"Not this spell…" he muttered. "Anything but this spell…"


	11. A Forbidden Spell

"What spell?" Kalim gasped. Seth held his rod close as he stood up again, watching a green light descend over Mahaado's body. What spell could leave Akhenaden so utterly terrified?

The waves of energy knocked the priests to the ground, sending them rolling into the stone walls of the sanctuary.

"_It is time!"_ the shadow snarled, as a circular mark appeared in the center of Mahaado's forehead. The creature could feel his own power double, no… triple, with each passing moment. The stones in the tablet started to shatter, one by one, drained to the point of dust. The lightning rippled over Mahaado's body, scarring his flesh as his soul fought to contain the magical surges. It was more than one mage could possibly stand.

"What's happening?" the priests shouted to each other as the shadow creature's laugh shook the sanctuary.

"_Why not shed a little light on your own darkness, priest?"_ the shadow hissed, pointing a hand at Akhenaden. The priest of the eye just trembled.

"What is that mark on his forehead?" Isis asked.

"Why did his power increase?"

"This is terrible…" Akhenaden gasped, his hands covering his face. The millennium eye burned within his socket as he fought to keep his mind as far from Mahaado's reach as possible. The darkness in his soul ate at him, but he refused to give in. No one was ever to know…

"What is it?"

"He has activated a spell known as the seal of Orekalkos." Akhenaden revealed, gasping for breath. "It's a spell to increase one's magical power to an incredible level."

The other priests gasped as well. Shaada did not need to even hold up the millennium ankh to sense the dark power. Mana nearly fainted.

"But it comes at a high cost."

"What cost?" Seth looked over at Akhenaden.

"The spellcaster forfeits his soul." The elder priest answered. "If at any point, the spell is broken or the spellcaster beaten, they lose their soul!"

"What?!" Mana shouted, hardly believing what she had heard. "Master would never do that. Master Mahaado, please… fight it! Don't let him control you!!"

"If we stop the curse, in any way, then we will destroy Mahaado!" Isis gasped, shaking her head as she covered her mouth.

Akhenaden only nodded.

"Stupid Mahaado."

"He's safeguarded himself against defeat."

"It doesn't matter!" Seth shouted. "I don't care if you're Mahaado or not, I will not stand here, and watch you destroy the Kehmet!"

"Seth, stand down… You can't face him, not on your own!" Akhenaden pulled on the younger priest's tunic, but Seth stood strong.

"_You are an insignificant fool."_ The shadow bellowed. Mahaado's eyes glowed red, without even a hint of humanity.

"Mahaado, please…" Isis begged. Tears swelled behind her eyes, and she fought to suppress them.

"Master… no…"

"_The magician is gone. Only Shadow remains." _

"Is it me?" Seth shouted again, even louder. "Am I the one who escapes your curse? If for no other reason then for you to gloat?"

"Seth, stand down!"

"_Arrogant fool!" _

Mahaado stretched out his hand, an orb of dark energy forming around his palm.

"Priest Seth!" Kalim shouted, knocking Seth out of the way before the blast could hit him. The other priests dove against the stones. The attack knocked an entire wall out of the tablet sanctuary, cutting a deep trench in the sand that stretched for many yards.

"Kalim, are you all right?" Shaada asked, immediately looking up.

"I am. Seth?"

The youngest priest nodded. "What power…"

"Incredible strength…" Akhenaden trembled. The blast had barely missed him.

Isis could only look at the path of destruction a single dark magic blast had caused.

"_You are wrong."_ The shadow laughed. Mahaado folded his hands again, and sat down. The rest of the sanctuary shook. _"You should be the first to go." _

He smiled, placing added emphasis on the word 'first.'

"Then it is surely Priestess Isis who you will release!" Kalim shouted, glancing back at the good priestess. "You care for her! You always have!"

"_The insignificant magician may have cared dearly for his good priestess, but he is no more. And so are his pathetic human emotions."_ Shadow laughed. _"I will take great pleasure in watching her melt like the gold that hung over your pharaoh's throne room." _

The shadow laughed again, and the temple shook.

"We have to pull back. We have to regroup." Akhenaden ordered. He took a few steps back, not taking his eyes from their devilish foe. Kalim helped Seth to his feet, and started backwards as well.

"There is too much energy in this place…"

"I agree." Isis added, looking around. She did not need the tauk's predictive powers to determine what would happen next. "The sanctuary… The stones cannot handle the strain. I think it is going to collapse."

"What about Master Mahaado?" Mana shouted. Shaada grabbed her arm, pulling out of harm's way as a pile of stones fell from the ceiling. Were it not for his quick reflexes, they would have both been crushed.

"Is it Mana?" Kalim shouted as the ground trembled beneath him. "You would spare her, because she is your student. Because she obeys you!"

Another wave of energy rippled through Mahaado's body.

"_No." _

The temple shook, empty tablet stones breaking from the walls. As they crashed onto the stone below, they shattered, the remains of their energy being absorbed by the shadow within Mahaado's body.

"We have to get out of here!" Isis shouted. "It's all falling apart! We have little time!"

The priests heeded her warning, and ran from the sanctuary as the ceiling collapsed. As the dust cleared, only the platform remained, with Mahaado sitting comfortably upon it.

The magician was unharmed, and the shadow creature inside him was growing even more powerful than before – so powerful that they feared even the millennium items could not stop it.

As the cover around them disappeared, the priests were assaulted by yet another curse already underway. Swarms of flies descended upon them, compounding the gnats that were already picking at their uncovered skin. The bites burned, a constant reminder of the sand falling in the hourglass. A constant reminder that the creature within Mahaado had to be stopped.


	12. Temporary Reprieve

Mana peeked out from the rubble first, pulling on Isis cloak.

"Priestess?"

"I am all right." She weakly answered, pushing smaller rocks from her body. "Are you?"

Mana nodded, looking around for any sign of the others or her master.

Mahaado, seemingly pleased with the destruction of the tablet sanctuary, sat silently above them on a platform. His eyes were closed, and he was whispering a soft spell. A small beam of light encircled him, protecting him from the temple's collapse, and serving as a siphon, as though he were collecting energy from Ra himself.

Mana could feel the energy radiating through the broken rocks, and she shuddered. It was more than her mind could even process.

"Oh no…" she could hardly speak of it, and turned into Isis' open arms. She buried her face in the priestess' cloak, ignoring the insects, the frogs, and even the cold aura that had risen in the air. "Master… no…"

"It is all right, Mana. He seems to have quieted the attack… for now." She breathed an uneasy sigh. "We need to find the others."

Seth pushed a rock from his leg, and stood weakly. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, he was unharmed.

"Yes, this is not the time for idle concern." He swatted at the swarm of flies that hovered over them. "Is everyone all right?"

A groan escaped from a larger pile of stone fragments.

"Kalim!"

The priest of the scales pushed a larger rock from his body, and slid forward. He held the scales in one hand, while still trying to protect his other arm. It was clearly broken, falling at a distorted angle from his left shoulder.

"Priest Kalim!" Mana rushed to his side, as he forced himself to stand.

"I can walk." He answered. "Where is Shaada?"

Seth, meanwhile, answered that question as he helped uncover the priest of the millennium ankh. The collapsing shrine had all but buried him, the hard stones shattering bones in his legs and ribs.

"Shaada, can you hear me?" Seth asked, picking up the injured priest as best he could. Shaada weakly groaned, but he could do little else.

"Shaada!" Isis gasped.

"I have Priest Shaada." Seth replied sternly, taking the other man into his arms. "Where is Priest Akhenaden?"

Another groan escaped from what was once the sanctuary's north wall. The elder priest tried to push a rock from his back, but failed. Mana and Isis quickly came to his aid, pulling the stones away, and freeing him from the rubble.

"Priest Akhenaden, are you all right?" Isis asked, helping him to his feet.

"I am…" he answered cautiously, examining his strength before letting go of the priestess to stand on his own. "Thankfully, an unbroken tablet protected me from being badly hurt."

He glanced around.

"Kalim, Shaada!" he gasped.

The priest of the scales fought back the pain of his injuries and staggered forward.

"I can still fight. But we need to regroup." He gave an uneasy glance at Priest Mahaado, who sat motionless on the platform above them. The shadow creature made no moves to dispose of them, even though, in their weakened state, it would be an easy kill. It was like the shadow was toying with them, and enjoying every moment of it.

"We need to get Shaada back to the palace." Seth added, holding the priest in his arms. "He was not so lucky."

"You need to do the same." Akhenaden addressed Kalim. "You are also badly injured."

Mana nodded, glancing at the large stone that protected Priest Akhenaden.

"Isis, look!" Mana shouted, pointing at the tablet as Seth hurried past. She ran towards it, placing her hands upon the cold stone. "It's the spirit ka in my master's soul! This is his tablet!"

Isis paused for a moment as well, as Kalim weakly walked behind her.

Mana was right. But not only that, it was also the only tablet that survived the destruction of the sanctuary.

"He has to still be alive in there, Isis…" Mana clutched her wand, while the priestess wrapped her cloak over her scratched arms to ward off the flies. "He was trying to protect Priest Akhenaden. He just had to be…"

Isis looked back at the master sorcerer. It pained her to see him this way, a slave to the shadows. He gave no acknowledgements, except to the increasing energy flowing through his body.

"I hope you're right." She sighed. "And I hope we can stop him… without killing him…"


	13. Regroup

"Oh thank goodness you are safe!" the royal vizier rushed from the palace gates to reach the priests. "The people are in a panic. Prince Atem has been speaking to them, trying to reassure them that you will return, and stop these terrible curses!"

As Siamun Muran reached them, though, he quickly learned that the battle had already claimed its first victims.

"Shaada!" he gasped, looking at the priest in Seth's arms. A small team of soldiers had followed him, and braved the swarms to reach the priests.

"Take him to the medical wing of the palace, immediately." Priest Seth held the injured priest tightly. The soldiers did as ordered, Seth taking Shaada's millennium item from his neck. "See to it that he is cared for by our best magicians."

"Kalim has been injured too."

The priest of the scales, leaning on Akhenaden, made his way forward. Another soldier took him upon his shoulder instead, leading him into the palace gates. As he passed by Mana, he handed his millennium item to her.

"Please, help stop your master… before its too late." Kalim spoke weakly.  
Mana didn't want to answer, but she found herself nodding anyway.

"Please, tell me what has happened. Were you able to locate the Mahaado?" Siamun whispered under his breath.

The priests exchanged a quick glance, none of them wanting to speak first. Seth finally took the liberty, as they rushed behind curtains, hoping to avoid the flies.

"We found Mahaado." He revealed coldly, daring not to curse the day with greater evils. "He was using magic from the millennium tome."

"And we were assaulted by the most powerful shadow creature I have ever seen."

Siamun was dumbfounded, to the point that even the insects' bites could not rouse him.

"Mahaado is a strong sorcerer." The vizier repeated to himself. "If something like that could take such complete control of his power…"

Mana only nodded.

"The millennium ankh could see only shadows from within his soul. It was as though his illusion magician has been completely defeated."

"He tried to fight back. He really did." Mana insisted. "And the tablet bearing his soul beast didn't shatter. So that means he has to be in there still…"

"He destroyed his tablet sanctuary, and nearly killed us along with him." Isis repressed another tear. "No one can get through to him."

"And…" Akhenaden froze, saving the most dreadful news for last. "He has cast the seal of orekalkos upon himself."

Siamun Muran's eyes grew wide at the sound of that spell. He had heard the elder priest mention it before, but not for many years. Now, he was wishing they had burned the pages, as Akhenaden had desired.

"Not the forbidden seal…"

The priest of the millennium eye nodded.

"We have to find some way to stop him!" Seth shouted, swatting at the flies as they bit under his armor.

"And we will."

"But Lord Siamun…" Mana protested. "Priest Akhenaden said that the seal… that if someone cast it, and they lost a battle or a spell was broken, that they'd lose their soul!"

"Mana, we do not have a choice." The vizier answered.

"No. We do not." Seth nodded quickly. "Mahaado made his choice to cast the spells that got him into this mess. We must protect Kehmet."

"And we have only six hours left." Isis scratched at the biting gnats.

Mana just shivered at hearing the demands again.

"Yes, six hours." Siamun rubbed his chin in deep thought. "I have been pondering that."

"Over four hours have already passed."

"And each hour since these demands were made, we have seen a plague descend upon our kingdom. Is that also correct?" Siamun added, to which the other priests nodded.

"They are meaningless distractions." Seth growled. "The shadow only hinted at the possibility of showing mercy. He will surely use Mahaado's heka to destroy all of us, regardless of whether we solve this meaningless riddle!"

"You say distractions." The vizier replied sternly. "I say clues."

"Lord Siamun, do you have any suggestions?" Akhenaden asked.

"We have nothing to lose by solving the riddle, and we have everything to gain." He answered, taking the millennium ankh into his hands. It had once been his item, and in the present situation, he felt as though he might need it again. "Let's go."

"Go?" the other priests looked at each other. "Go where?"

"To what remains of Mahaado's tablet sanctuary." The vizier answered. His voice was stern and certain. "To give him the answer."

"You know the answer?" Seth glanced at Siamun. Now, it was his opportunity to be dumbfounded.

"Priest Seth, I have spent many years serving Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, and designing the puzzles and traps that are being finished in his tomb. This puzzle is no different." Siamun answered calmly, swatting the occasional insect. "The shadow creature is likely basing his plan of attack on Mahaado's own knowledge. And he is using the darkest days in Egyptian history as his basis. It is a pattern we all should know well"

Suddenly, everything made sense. Isis gasped, her hands fluttering as she felt for her millennium tauk.

"Just as in the past… When the royal magicians were bested by a mere slave." She closed her eyes. "A curse with an insult to all magicians, and to all priests."

The remaining priests nodded.

" The blood was the first curse." Siamun added. "Followed by the frogs, the gnats, and then the flies."

Isis glanced up. The sun had moved in the sky.

"And if history is any indication of what is to come, the next of these plagues will be dreadful disease." The vizier continued. "If we do not stop him now, then not even the prince will be able to restore calm to the people."

"I don't get it, Lord Siamun." Mana spoke up from behind him. "So who is he not targeting?"

"The answer to his riddle is simple. It is high priest Akhenaden."

"But why?"

The vizier folded his arms behind his back, walking calmly to the gates of the palace. He dared not look back at the mass of people gathered around the prince's balcony, but he prayed that Atem would be able to keep peace until he and the priests had returned.

"Because at the end of ten days, that slave cast a powerful spell that destroyed the first born of every family." Siamun Muran answered with a knowledgeable sigh. "Akhenaden is the younger of the two brothers, Akhenamkhanen taking the throne."

Akhenaden shivered, as another ghastly wind whipped past.

"That is why you was protected when the sanctuary collapsed, Lord Akhenaden." Mana whispered. "It was Master Mahaado trying to give us a clue!"

"You all are fools! This riddle is not important. It is as though this shadow is merely toying with us!"

"No! It's Mahaado! The tablet was still whole. His ka is alive in there! He… he's trying to fight it any way he can!" Mana pleaded with the priest of the rod.

"It is his foolish spellcasting that brought this upon us in the first place!" Seth argued. "Do not forget that!"

Mana looked down, and started to back away.

"Seth, maybe Mana is right." Siamun nodded. "If my hunch is correct, he is using this curse as a weapon against Mahaado as well. What better way to defeat the last of a magician's energy, then with a curse that shows how ineffectual he has become? But now that we know the answer, we must hurry. We must stop him before he is able to harm any more people."

The vizier marched towards the tablet sanctuaries.

"To fight until the bitter end… It is what Mahaado would have wanted."


	14. The Solved Riddle

The sun revealed that the fifth hour had already begun by the time they reached the remains of Mahaado's tablet sanctuary. Siamun Muran feared the possible famine and destruction that would result from the fifth plague – a disease on the animals of the kingdom.

Mahaado had not moved since they made their retreat. The pillar of light that surrounded his body had only intensified. Ripples of black lightning coursed under his skin, tearing through his veins. The seal on his forehead glowed, a mark of the power surge within him.

Priest Akhenaden gulped. The sorcerer's power was likely the strength of a thousand sages, and only growing. Should the riddle be only a diversion, as Priest Seth believed, the shadow creature could easily crush them all with a mere flick of Mahaado's wrist.

"_So, you return."_ The shadow bellowed, the ground shaking.

"Yes, we do." Priest Seth answered. He struggled to keep his voice clear and stern, despite the fear that was raging in his own heart.

"Master… I know you're in there." Mana added, still batting the flies and gnats from her body. Her skin was red and itchy, but it did not bother her.

"_The magician is gone. Only Shadow remains." _

"So you say." Siamun Muran countered. "But by the very nature of your curse, we beg to differ."

The shadow just laughed. Mahaado lifted one finger, and the stones beneath them parted away. He hovered the rocks over the priests, just to watch them scurry and cower.

"_And I grow tired of this worthless game."_

"Well, the game is over, Shadow!" Priest Seth shouted.

"That is right." Isis added. "We have solved the riddle."

The royal vizier stepped forward, clutching the millennium ankh tightly.

"Yes. The answer is Priest Akhenaden."

"I am the one whom you cannot destroy with your curse." The elder priest stood forward as well, his body trembling.

"_Very good."_ The shadow laughed. _"So you managed answer who. Now, why will this pathetic mortal live, if not simply for the fact that it is his act that brought me to this world?"_

"His act that…" Priestess Isis glanced at Akhenaden with confusion.

"You treasonous fool. Akhenaden has done nothing!" Seth shouted, stepping forward again. Akhenaden kept a hand on the younger priest's shoulder, so that he would not try anything rash.

"_You are as naïve as the pharaoh once was!"_ the shadow hissed. _"The magician knew too much. He knew your secrets. And he wanted to dispose of me while he had the chance."_

"You lie!" Seth shouted in return. "You are merely trying to buy time! Well, we will not stand here and argue pointlessly while the kingdom falls into ruin!"

The vizier nodded.

"The reason is simple. You fashioned this curse out of our history. The tenth plague will be the death of all first borns. Priest Akhenaden is the younger brother of the former pharaoh, therefore he will be spared!"

The remaining priests glanced at each other. The task was done. The riddle had been solved.

At the sound of those words, though, the shadow merely laughed.

"_You are truly pathetic!" _

"Is that not the reason?"

"_Of course it was the reason."_ The shadow growled. _"But did you honestly believe a simple answer would stop me from ensuring your destruction?"_

Mahaado stood, waves of black energy rolling down the podium, forcing the priests to their knees with hardly a motion.

"_It was you who set me free. That is why I should spare you, Akhenaden."_ The shadow smirked, strolling down the steps. Mahaado twitched with each movement, his mortal body barely able to contain the strain of the magic energy being forced through it. _"You gave me the opportunity to find this… the instrument of your demise!"_

"Leave my master alone!" Mana shouted, but Mahaado lifted a finger to silence her.

She felt the air rush from her lungs as a powerful ball of black energy burst from his fingertip. Small and precise, it struck Mana in the chest. She flew past the rubble, her body tumbling to a stop against the wall of the shrine of Wedju.

"Mana!" Priestess Isis gasped. Her body trembled with fear. "Mahaado, please…"

"_The magician is gone!"_ he shouted again. _"Only shadow remains!!" _

Siamun stood back, observing. The creature shouted that as though he were not only trying to convince the priests, but also himself, which meant Mahaado might very well be alive.

"I knew it was all a diversion…" Seth grumbled, as Mahaado circled his hands in front of his chest. He bent his head down, and started casting another spell. The fire in his eyes pierced their souls, spreading terror wherever he glanced.

"What's going on?" Isis gasped.

"I have no idea…" Akhenaden answered. "I have never heard that spell."

"_You may have translated the beginnings of the millennium tome."_ The shadow laughed. _"But I have learned everything."_

The powerful spellbook floated in front of Mahaado as he walked. As he chanted a long spell, the energy in his body started to grow. Pulses of black and white light ran like current through his trembling limbs.

"All the energy he's been collecting…" Akhenaden finally gasped. "He's powering up. He's going to attack!"


	15. One Last Chance

"Stand together." Akhenaden managed to order, gulping as he stared at the sorcerer before him. Balls of black energy formed in Mahaado's palms, preparing for an attack of unseen magnitude. "We must stop him!"

Isis nodded. The tauk glowed around her neck, showing her only a dark and shadowy forecast of what was to come.

Priest Mahaado towered over the remaining priests. His eyes burned red with the flames of Ra. His soul was on fire. The ends of the millennium ring were still buried in his chest, and the mark of the orekalkos seal was etched vividly on his forehead. The shadow creature inside of him had amassed so much power in only a few short hours that the priests feared there was no force on earth, not even the combined strength of the millennium items, could stop it.

"No…" she whispered, pleading not only to her vision, but also to Mahaado. Spiria, her spirit beast, appeared by her side.

"Lord Akhenaden… what is this spell?" Seth asked, calling forth his ka as a defensive measure.

"I do not know." Akhenaden trembled, summoning a spirit from his personal tablet sanctuary as well.

"Whatever it is, I will not let it harm the palace or the people." Seth growled.

"Join your attacks together, now! It is our only chance at defeating him!"

"_Weak fools." _

Isis and Akhenaden nodded, ordering their spirit beasts into battle, but it was useless.

Mahaado's attack struck them down instantly, and the three remaining priests fell to the ground, with both their heka and life force severely depleted. Another blast would surely mean their deaths.

"Priest Seth! Priest Akhenaden! Priestess Isis!" the vizier gasped, rushing over to them. "Are you all right?"

They were stunned, but still alive.

"_No mortals can defeat the darkness."_ The shadow bellowed, laughing again. Mahaado whispered another spell.

"I prayed to the gods that it would not come to this…" Siamun Muran whispered, holding the millennium ankh in his hand. "Mahaado you were always a loyal servant to Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen. I know you would want this creature destroyed at any cost."

The ankh started to glow.

"I regret that it must end like this, old friend." The vizier whispered a spell of his own, calling forth a mighty spirit beast from beneath the tablet sanctuaries. "Exodia, come forth!"

Mahaado froze, but only momentarily, as the massive spirit of Exodia, the forbidden one, appeared before him. Breaking the chains that had held it for fifteen years, Exodia curled its fists and arched its back. Hidden safely behind his creature, Siamun pulled the priests from harm's way.

"_Well now. I never expected to encounter the forbidden one."_ The shadow spoke, laughing. _"Or to see a shriveled man like you pull its parts together."_

"I cannot let you destroy Kehmet, Shadow."

"_An intriguing diversion on your part, but that is all that it is. Even the forbidden one will fall to the darkness!"_ the shadow laughed.

Mahaado's palms glowed with a dark blue flame, as he fired another energy blast towards the creature. Siamun held his ground, his determination keeping his creature strong. To Mahaado's surprise, Exodia emerged from the sand and smoke without even a scratch.

"_That is impossible…"_ the shadow hissed.

"Lord Siamun!" Isis gasped.

"It withstood the attack…" Even Seth was mystified.

"Call forth your spirit beasts, if you have the heka. Lend your strength to Exodia, and we may be able to stop this dark creature yet." Siamun instructed.

"_I would not be so certain if I were you…"_ he hissed. _"If you think the forbidden one is a match for me, you are strongly mistaken." _

Mahaado held his trembling hands steady, casting a long and powerful spell, calling forth all the heka within him. As the spell was cast, a bright light surrounded Mahaado, the energy within him bursting outward.

The flash blinded the priests for but a moment, but when they regained their sight, they realized their problems had only magnified. A thousand magic blasts burst from his fingertips, surrounding and penetrating the thick hide of the forbidden beast. Siamun gripped his chest in pain as the black pulses shattered Exodia from the inside out.

"Lord Siamun!"

The vizier fell at the feet of Seth, who had only recently found enough strength to stand.

"_Your ka, even the forbidden one, are nothing but insignificant specks of dust. Worthless swarms of flies and gnats, an irritant."_ The loud voice shook the very ground, again forcing the priests on their knees_. "And with my power, I will coat this world in darkness and shadow!"_

"Oh my…" Isis trembled, trying to stand, but she was far too weak. "Mahaado, please…"

"_The magician may have cared for you, but I do not."_ He laughed, ignoring her soft plea. He turned his attention to the only priest still standing – Seth. _"And now you will feel the agony of your own fate!"_

Seth struggled, but there was little he could do. With only the power of his mind, Mahaado held Seth's body in his hand, toying with him for a few moments. Squeezing his fist, Seth gasped for air as his ribs started to crack.

"You didn't want to play my little game, did you? You felt it was just a distraction. The answer is you are the distraction."

"Seth!" Isis screamed, trying to find enough heka inside her soul to summon a creature to pull him to safety. But it was of no use. With Spiria destroyed, she could hardly move.

"Seth…" Akhenaden dared not look. His son screamed as he dangled helplessly in Mahaado's grasp.

"_That's right."_ The shadow hissed. Mahaado carefully lifted him above the rubble, flinging him out of the sanctuary ruins like a small doll. Seth's scream echoed in the distance until it fell to a sudden silence.

Isis' skin blanched in disbelief. Akhenaden could not even move.

"Oh gods…"

"Priest Seth…"

"_You are all a distraction!"_ he shouted, another burst of light appearing in his hands. _"The shadows will rise again, and you can do nothing to stop it!"_

"Akhenaden…" Isis whispered, finally reaching her feet. "What can we do?"

The elder priest stood still for only a moment longer.

"We can run…" he answered, his voice trembling. It was the only thing left he could think of.

"Yes, run." Siamun gasped painfully as he sat up. He gazed up at Mahaado and clenched the millennium ankh in his hand.

"But Lord Siamun…" Isis stuttered.

"Run. Now. While you have the chance."

"_It does not matter where you run, the power of the shadows will consume you. No matter where you go!"_ the shadow laughed. Another energy orb appeared in his hands.

"You must protect the prince!" the vizier insisted, to which Priest Akhenaden and Priestess Isis finally nodded.

"But what about you?

"Do not worry about me, Priestess." He replied sternly, forcing his old body to stand. "Pray to the gods that Mana knows her master well. It may be our last hope in stopping this shadow."

The two remaining priests nodded, turning their back on their friend-turned-foe. They ran from the tablet sanctuaries, towards the palace. They knew it might only be a matter of moments before Siamun fell to the creature within Mahaado. But should they be able to protect the prince, his sacrifice would not have been in vain.

They were, however, loosing hope.

"_And the priests of Egypt leave only the vizier to stand in my way?"_ the shadow growled. _"You will join your pharaoh at Osiris' feet."_

"On the contrary, Shadow." Siamun answered. "There is one person with he power to stop you."

"Your pathetic prince can't stop the darkness."

"I am not talking about the prince." The vizier replied, holding the millennium ankh towards the sorcerer. "I am talking about you, Mahaado. If your soul is still intact, please, hear my pleas. I can help you!"

"_The magician is gone! Only. Shadow. Remains!"_

"You say that." Siamun answered. "But I do not believe it!"

Hundreds of dark orbs crashed around the vizier, Mahaado launching an unending assault of black magic. The vizier tried to hold his ground, the ankh glowing in his hand. When the dust cleared, Siamun's body was nowhere to be found.

"_And you are gone too."_ The shadow laughed, and made his way leisurely towards the palace.


	16. Inside his Soul

To Siamun's surprise, he found himself in a dark place, still alive.

The ghastly memory of what just occurred flooded his senses as he tried to determine where he was.

"The ankh must have worked." He eventually reasoned. "I am inside his mind."

He glanced around. The room resembled the underbelly of a tomb, with dark stone walls and a low ceiling. Shadows stretched as far as his eyes could see. The air was cold, the scent of death clung to him like an unwelcome spell.

He stood up slowly, at first, unsure if this were real. A shallow breath proved that he was, in fact, still alive. And a faint groan revealed that he was not the only one.

"…Is someone here?" a weak voice called out, nearly snuffed by the shadows.

"Thank Ma'at that it worked" Siamun answered. His intuition proved correct, and he recognized the voice instantly. "Mahaado! Where are you?"

Leaning beneath the shadows was the broken figure of the magus of illusion, Mahaado's spirit ka. Siamun grew weak at the sight of the spirit, its body torn, mangled, and as solid as his. Beneath the lavender hood, he could see the face of Priest Mahaado, struggling to resist the powers of the shadows.

"Priest Mahaado…"

"The millennium ring…" he gasped, laying his head against some fallen stones. "It hid a dark power, a shadow of… of infinite ability. I was attempting to exorcise it, to break its ties to the item… before it could harm the prince…"

The magician's eyes grew blurry as he looked up at the Vizier.

"I should have gone to the others… But I could not get them involved. Not after what happened with the great pharaoh."

"After what happened?" the vizier found himself asking.

"I told him… I told him what I knew of the truth. Of the dark forces within the items, and of the spells I had translated from the millennium tome." The magician gasped. If this were his last breath, he felt the need to confess. "It is the reason he fell ill, and died."

"Mahaado, the kingdom is falling just as the pharaoh did, but there is still a chance that we can save it." Siamun interrupted. "We have to act quickly."

"The shadow's power grows… with each passing moment…"

"But power, Priest, can be a very fragile thing." He replied. "Is that not what his curse was trying to do? To show you how weak you are?"

Siamun carefully lifted the magician spirit from the shadows. Mahaado attempted to silence his pain, but he could not.

"Mana saw your clues." He added. "I know you have little strength left, but I will help you use it. If you will allow me to do so."

The magus of illusion nodded.

"Where is the shadow creature? How is it controlling your body?"

"We are beneath the tower in my soul room…" Mahaado glanced upward, his body so weak that he could hardly stand. "The shadow is at the top of it… He is using it, as I did, to focus and magnify heka."

"Magnify?"

Mahaado nodded silently, gripping his staff as best he could.

"I have been trying to save my strength… for one last attack… It may work…"

The vizier held his breath. He felt the magus of illusion start to go slack in his arms.

"but it may not…"


	17. Biding Time

Meanwhile, Akhenaden and Isis had reached the palace. Fearing the worst, Isis turned around, but Mahaado had not followed.

"We may have little time to reach the prince." Akhenaden fought to catch his breath.

"But first, we must get the people as far away from here as possible." Isis added. "Out of the courtyard, into the lower levels of the palace, where they may be safer."

He nodded, running behind the priestess towards the throne room, where Prince Atem stood pacing.

"Priestess Isis, Priest Akhenaden!" Atem shouted, turning around. The bruised and battered bodies of his last remaining priests were a sight he never wished to encounter. "What of…"

He dared not even finish his sentence.

"My prince, we cannot beat him… Lord Siamun is biding us as much time as he can." Isis answered. "We must get the people to safety."

"I have already ordered the soldiers to bring as many as they can into the underground chambers." Prince Atem exclaimed. "Priest Akhenaden, please, go assist them. Hurry!"

"Of course, Prince." The priest of the millennium eye bowed, quickly leaving the throne room.

"What will you do?" Priestess Isis asked, her tauk leading her only to the worst of possibilities.

"I will attempt to bide more time for the soldiers as well." He answered immediately. "I must protect the people. It is what my father would have done! Priestess, if I should fall, see to it that a new pharaoh is chosen immediately for the coronation." He instructed, putting his hand on her shoulder.

The slight touch pained her, but she resisted the urge to let it show.

"Though my heka is too weak to summon a ka into battle, my prince, do know this. If you are to fall, then I will die by your side." She replied softly, bowing with the respect that such a willing sacrifice was due.

Atem nodded, and with the priestess beside him, ran down the staircase towards the gardens.

"I only wish that it did not have to end like this." He sighed. "Priest Mahaado was a dear friend of my father's. He was like an elder brother to me."

Isis nodded. She dared not voice her true feelings to the prince, not at a time like this.

"He was a good priest, and a powerful sorcerer." She eventually answered. "This shadow creature, it is merely using him as a magical conduit. He did not mean for this to occur. Surely, he did not."

"I know." Atem replied. "For a strong sorcerer, and for all of you, to fall to this creature, it must be very powerful indeed. I do not blame him for what happened. I could never blame him…"

"Yes." Isis took a deep breath as she stood at the palace gates with Atem beside her. She forced herself to ignore the frogs, the swarms of flies and the biting gnats, as they were insignificant compared to their true opponent.

It would not be long before Mahaado would arrive. Even with the curse held at bay, the final battle was upon them all. And it was a battle that even the prince feared they could not win…


	18. Mind Crush

"Lord Siamun…" Mahaado gasped, falling to his knees in the shadows. The vizier struggled to hold the magus of illusion up. "We have one chance to stop him. But I cannot do it alone…"

The vizier nodded.

"What do you need?"

"I need your help… I need your heka."

They both glanced upward into the shadows. A faint reflection of light could be seen above them – a lens at the bottom of the temple pulsated with energy.

Siamun already knew exactly what the sorcerer was thinking. In any other situation, he would have rendered it as forbidden as the seal of orekalkos itself.

"You are going to attempt a magical blast directly up into the temple of your soul room." He whispered softly, his voice trembling.

"Yes." Mahaado replied weakly. "If I can use your heka as well as my own, I should have enough power to set off a chain reaction…"

The vizier watched as the disc above him continued to pulse with light. It meant that the creature was growing stronger by the moment. It would not be long before it reached the palace, and used Mahaado's form to destroy absolutely everything they held dear.

But on the other hand, he was also well aware of the implications of the magician's strategy.

"Mahaado…" Siamun whispered, asking despite already knowing the sorcerer was well aware of the attack's consequences. "If you set off a chain reaction, it will combine with all the energy he has collected, forcefully expelling the shadow from your mind…"

Mahaado nodded. That was his plan.

"You will destroy yourself in the process…"

"It is the only way…" he answered, gripping his staff. "I pray that Bes will protect you… so that you will not have to pay for my misdeeds."

The vizier was silent for a moment.

"Mahaado, you are the greatest wizard this kingdom has known." He added, helping the sorcerer stand once more. "Should we succeed, even if I perish, I will stand in your defense before the forty two judges of Osiris' court. Your sins here, even with the orekalkos upon your soul, will be forgiven by your sacrifice."

Mahaado nodded, aiming his wand at the disc above him. Siamun Muran closed his eyes, and concentrated. Although his life force was depleted from Exodia's defeat, he gave what little heka he still had to the sorcerer. The crystal orb in the magician's wand glowed a bright green as he whispered a secret spell.

A pulse of light burst from the wand, pushing Mahaado back into the shadows. The soul room shook, and everything went black.


	19. Return to the Palace

Across the kingdom of Egypt, an unholy scream could be heard. It sent chills down the Atem's back, and filled Isis' mind with a dark shadow.

"What was that?" the prince gasped, turning to his priestess.

She held the tauk with trembling hands, trying to pierce the shadows.

"I… I can see nothing but… wait!" she shouted, clutching the item tighter. "I see a small light. And it is spreading!"

The prince held his breath.

"Priestess, what can you see?"

"I see rubble. I see great ruins... terrible destruction…" the vision was overwhelming, so much so that Priestess Isis collapsed where she stood. Atem dropped to his knees, catching her as she fell. He glanced over his shoulder. The courtyard was cleared of all people. The soldiers had taken them to safety… at least for now.

"Is this the fate of our kingdom?" the prince asked, tears forming in his eyes. "Of the world?"

Before she could answer, the sound of footsteps shook her from her trance.

"Priestess, get behind me." Atem ordered, turning toward the sound of the noise. But the figure that approached was not Mahaado. It was the vizier, struggling to carry the body of the sorcerer in his arms.

"Lord Siamun!" Isis gasped, leaping from the ground.

The vizier fell to his knees as the priestess reached him. His body was weak from the battles, and his mind was exhausted from the task at hand. But he was alive.

"Mahaado…"

"The creature?" Prince Atem gasped, his body shaking as he stared at the lifeless form of his old friend and future priest. The energy was gone. Even the mark of the orekalkos was gone. The only indication that the shadow creature had ever existed was the millennium ring, and the needles that were still embedded in Mahaado's chest. But the blood had long dried.

"The creature was expelled." Siamun replied softly, resting the sorcerer's back on his knee. "Isis… Mana was right. Mahaado's spirit was still alive. And fighting."

"But how…"

Siamun glanced down to the millennium ankh, now tied around his neck.

"I gave him my heka, so that he could destroy the creature's source of power." Siamun answered with a solemn sigh. "It was the only way."

"The creature's power source?" the prince asked.

"But it was using Mahaado's soul for…" Isis suddenly gasped, covering her mouth. She shook her head, frightened. "You didn't… He couldn't…"

The vizier only nodded.

"Did not what?" Atem asked again.

"One well-placed magical blast was all it took." Siamun answered wearily. "I was blown free in the explosion, the gods be praised that I should be allowed to live through such an event, and the shadow creature was destroyed. But his soul… It was shattered."

Isis traced the smudged line of kohl under Mahaado's eye.

"No… he… he's dead…"

"No, Isis." Siamun held Mahaado's body tightly. "Look. His body breathes still. His heart still beats."

"But his soul…" Atem trembled.

The vizier dared not speak.

"What of the others? Of Seth? Mana?"

Siamun looked up. Of that, he had good news.

"They survived, albeit injured. They are making their way back to the palace."

"And the other curses?"

"The flies are starting to flee, and the gnats have all returned to dust." Siamun answered. "It is likely that the Nile will run clean with water once again. The shadow creature's threat has ended."

It was a long time before Atem rose again.

"Isis, see that the people know it is safe to return from the underground chambers of the palace." He ordered. "Tell them we will begin rebuilding what was destroyed, and that we will compensate them for whatever they have lost."

She bowed respectfully, forcing her mind away from the fallen priest.

"Yes, Prince." She stood, but then paused. "Prince Atem, what of the coronation?"

He drew a long breath.

"We will proceed as planned, Isis." Though his heart was heavy, Atem forced himself to push onward. "The people of Kehmet have need of their pharaoh, now more than ever. My father's dream of peace must continue."

"Yes, Prince." She bowed again, making her way into the palace.

Atem turned to his vizier, still kneeling with Mahaado's body.

"See to it that he seen by the best physicians and magicians in the kingdom." The prince instructed.

Siamun bowed, and continued on. Though they both knew there was little either could do for Priest Mahaado now. He had made both the ultimate mistake, and the ultimate sacrifice.


	20. The Seventh Night

After the rising of the moon, the young prince and his five remaining priests gathered in the arena of magic users.

"And because of your bravery, we shall see Ra once more." Atem turned to the priests. "My father would have been proud of you all."

Kalim rested against a stone tablet, his arm held tightly in a sling. Shaada reclined next to him, his broken bones bound with sticks and reeds. Siamun had returned the millennium ankh to him, and it now hung around his neck, exactly where it should be.

Akhenaden stood over Seth, grateful that his son survived with mere flesh wounds. The youngest priest grumbled at the fact that Mahaado was able to best him.

Isis stood by the prince, her tauk keeping watch for any possible return of the shadow creature. But like the dreadful curse it set in motion, it too was gone.

Siamun Muran stood next to the altar where the prince had asked Mahaado's body to be placed. Mana stood beside him, though her heart was especially heavy. The apprentice kept watch over her master, desperately searching for a sign that his soul might still be alive. But unlike the battle with the shadow creature, this time, she could feel nothing. Even his heka was gone.

"Has there been a change?" Prince Atem asked softly, turning around.

"No."

"What do the doctors and magicians say?"

The vizier lowered his head.

"They can do nothing." He answered softly, turning his gaze away from Mana. He could bear to look at her young face as he spoke such harsh words. "His body will likely expire within seven days, a slow and agonizing death."

"A fitting punishment." Seth announced. "For what he did."

"Seth, how can you say that… he gave his life to stop the creature!"

"After he gave his magic to create it." Seth argued. "With a foolish delusion about the millennium items being tainted."

Priest Akhenaden lowered his gaze to the floor, still saying nothing.

"Priest Seth, I believe his spells were made with good intentions." Siamun interjected. "But let this be a lesson to all of you."

The priests, as well as the prince, turned their attention to the vizier. He took the millennium ring from Mahaado's neck, pulling the needles out of his chest. Turning to Mahaado's apprentice, he slid the item over her head. Even though she was still a student, her acute senses were instrumental in finally stopping the shadow creature. She earned the right to take his place in the priesthood.

"No matter how strong your power, never attempt such magic, or such battles, on your own." He added, his voice soft and solemn. "It is a lesson that Priest Mahaado has learned far too late. Power from any one source is a fragile thing. But the power of the millennium items is that of unity. Together, you are strong enough to overcome even the darkest shadows…"

They nodded, even Seth.

"And today, the darkest shadows were certainly overcome."


End file.
